PRIVATE ACTING INSTRUCTION
Spindrift offers private lessons in acting. We are available for audition preparation, individual instruction, monologue and scene work .
If you are interested in private lessons, call the office at (650) 738-8648.
Natalia Luna – Instructor: All levels of Acting , Ballet, Pointe, Hip Hop, Jazz and Musical Theater. She can also teach Stage Combat and Puppetry and Mask Making. Natalia has been teaching at SSPA since 2002 and also serves as SSPA’s Artistic Director. Natalia holds a Bachelors degree in musical theater with emphasis in directing and a minor in costume and makeup from SFSU. She as danced for the Sacramento Ballet Apprentice Company, the Cockett Dean Ballet Company and is a recipient of the Elly Award for best supporting actress in a musical at SFSU.
“I enjoy working in an environment where I have the freedom to challenge young actors & dancers as artists, as well as myself. I am constantly learning and developing as an instructor. I feel that it is important for instructors to grow and the students at spindrift have helped me do so.” Email Me
Christa Jensen – Instructor: Hip Hop, all levels of Acting & Musical Theatre. Christa came to us in the fall of 2008 from the East Coast. She was previously the Education Outreach Director at Raven Theatre in Chicago. There she taught theatre and dance in the Chicago public school system in partnership with Raven and Lifeline Theatres. Prior to that, she was Education Director at Curtain Call Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut. She has directed and choreographed multiple children’s theatre productions and founded The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts children’s program in Connecticut. Christa has performed in musical theatre productions from LA to Connecticut, as well as, locally with the Pacifica Spindrift Players. Originally from Los Angeles, she has danced and assisted in choreographing special events at Universal Studios Hollywood, Cal State University Northridge, Superbowl XXVII Pre-Game Show and Disneyland Paris Grand Opening Parade.
“It is my goal as an acting instructor to give students the experience of being part of an ensemble and gain confidence to express themselves creatively in an encouraging environment. Nothing makes me happier then seeing them grow and shine on stage and it is my hope that the skills they learn through drama will cross over into other areas of school and home life.” Email Me
Carla Pauli – Instructor: All levels of Acting, Scene Study, Improvisation, Auditioning. Carla joined us in 2010 and began class instruction with us in the Winter of 2011. She has studied at American Conservatory Theater Studio for over 2 years. She has also studied Meisner Technique with Rachel Adler, Singing at Shari Carlson Studio and dance at San Francisco Dance Center and ODC. Carla has worked with various theater companies in the Bay Area including OpenTab Productions, Brava, Woman’s Will, Thunderbird Theater and Pacifica Spindrift Players. She has also appeared in several independent feature and short films as well as webisodes and commercials and is currently represented in San Francisco by Tonry Talent Agency.
“Children’s view points and creativity always inspires me to continue to look for truthfulness in my own work and to keep nurturing the element of “play” on the stage. Working at SSPA has opened up for me a whole new perspective to the art of acting. Often times it is the most inexperienced actors that will allow themselves to live within the given circumstance of a scene without any preconceived notions or fear of judgment. They allow themselves to explore and play and build with a careless freedom that is nothing less than magical. As an acting teacher and an actor, there is nothing more exciting than to witness and nurture the growth of these little actors.” Email Me
Paul Kwapy – Instructor: All levels of Acting, Improvisation, Speech, Movement, Character Study & Development. Paul began with SSPA in 2004. He is our technical director/ set designer for all our main stage shows and directs our summer Actor’s Studios. Paul studied with the acclaimed Chicago’s Second City Improvisational Theatre. He studied theatre at University of Colorado and has worked for the Colorado Renaissance Festival, Iron Springs Chateau Melodrama, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Repertory Theatre and has been performing since he was 7 years-old with many hundreds of performances under his belt.
“The purpose of theatre is INVOLVEMENT. I’ve always felt one of our purposes in life is to become comfortable in our own skin. I hope to provide tools to achieve this through theatre training. Students gain abilities and confidence by learning speech, movement, discipline and performance skills that are required in theatre. These are key steps to providing that pathway for students to achieve those social interaction skills that serve them well in whatever they do in life. Email Me